One in Messiah Congregation presents:

The Suffering Servant of Isaiah, According to the Jewish Interpreters

Samuel R. Driver and Adolf Neubauer
Originally published in 1877 and off copyright, (reprinted 1999 Wipf and Stock Publishers)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Targum Jonathan (Driver/Neubauer)

Isaiah 52:

13. Behold my servant Messiah shall prosper; he shall be high, and
increase, and be exceeding strong:

14. as the house of Israel looked to him during many days, because
their countenance was darkened among the peoples, and their
complexion beyond the sons of men,

15. so will he scatter many peoples; at him kings shall be silent,
and put their hands upon their mouth, because that which was not told
them have they seen, and that which they had not heard they have
observed.

Isaiah 53

1. Who hath believed this our glad tidings? and the strength of the
mighty arm of the Lord, upon whom as thus hath it been revealed?

2. The righteous will grow up before him, yeah, like blooming shoots,
and like a tree which sends forth its roots to streams of water will
they increase - a holy generation in the land that was in need of
him; his countenance no profane countenance, and the terror at him
not the terror at an ordinary man; his complexion shall be a holy
complexion, and all who see him will look wistfully upon him.

3. Then he will become despised, and will cut off the glory of all
the kingdoms; they will be prostrate and mourning, like a man of
pains and like one destined for sicknesses; and as though the
presence of the Shekhinah had been withdrawn from us, they will be
despised, and esteemed not.

4. Then for our sins he will pray, and our iniquities will for his
sake be forgiven, although we were accounted stricken, smitten from
before the Lord, and afflicted.

5. But he will build up the Holy Place, which has been polluted for
our sins, and delivered to the enemy for our iniquities; and by his
instruction peace shall be increased upon us, and by devotion to his
words, our sins will be forgiven us.

6. All we like sheep had been scattered, we had each wandered off on
his own way; but it was the Lord's good pleasure to forgive the sins
of all of us for his sake.

7. He prayed, and he was answered, and ere even he had opened his
mouth he was accepted; the mighty of the peoples he will deliver up
like a sheep to the slaughter and like a lamb dumb before her
shearers; there shall be none before him opening his mouth or saying
a word.

8. Out of chastisements and punishment he will bring our captives
near; the wondrous things done to us in his days who shall be able to
tell? For he will cause the dominion of the Gentiles to pass away
from the land of Israel and transfer to them the sins which my people
have committed.

9. He will deliver the wicked into Gehinnom, and those that are rich
in possessions into the death of utter destruction, in order that
those who commit sin may not be established, nor speak deceits with
their mouth.

10. But it is the Lord's good pleasure to try and to purify the
remnant of his people, so as to cleanse their souls from sin; these
shall look on the Kingdom of their Messiah, their sons and their
daughters shall be multiplied, they shall prolong their days, and
those who perform the Law of the Lord shall prosper in his good
pleasure.

11. From the subjection of the nations he will deliver their souls,
they shall look upon the punishment of those that hate them, and be
satisfied with the spoil of their kings; by his wisdom he will hold
the guiltless free from guilt, in order to bring many into subjection
to the law; and for their sins he will intercede.

12. Then will I divide for him the spoil of many peoples, and the
possessions of strong cities shall he divide as prey, because he
delivered up his soul to death, and made the rebellious subject to
the Law: he shall intercede for many sins, and the rebellious for his
sake shall be forgiven